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Ann Arbor's Movellus Circuits named best emerging company in GLEQ contest

Ann Arbor-based Movellus Circuits won the grand prize of $25,000 Tuesday as the best emerging company at the 14th annual Great Lakes Entrepreneurs Quest business plan competition at the Marriott Eagle Crest resort in Ypsilanti.

The competition, put on by MiQuest, a Lansing-based nonprofit, was held in conjunction with the 33rd annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, which drew venture capital and angel investors from around the country to hear growing or early-stage Midwest companies make a pitch for equity capital.

The runner-up prize of $15,000 went to Wixom-based SurClean Inc., which uses a laser-based technology for removal of coatings, replacing abrasives and blasting materials. SurClean also won the $12,500 Automation Alley advanced manufacturing award.

Ann Arbor-based Genomenon, which is developing software tools to better analyze human genomes to improve patient care, won $5,000 for first place in the New Business Idea category. The company later presented at the Growth Capital Symposium.

Exo Dynamics LLC of Ann Arbor received the second-place award of $2,500. It wants to make the next generation of spinal orthotics for people with chronic spinal conditions or injuries.

Ecovia Renewables LLC of Ann Arbor won the Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute's Green Technology Innovation Award. Ecovia wants to limit soil erosion with a proprietary biopolymer mixture for mulching that is non-toxic and eco-friendly.

The NextEnergy Advanced Energy Innovation Award of $10,000 went to Optimal Process Technologies LLC of Ann Arbor, which is developing and commercializing technologies for joining dissimilar materials in electric vehicles.

Fred Pieplow, president of St. Joseph-based Manna Management LLC, was selected as GLEQ's coach of the year.

Tony Montalbano, one of the four founders of Washington, Mich.-based Spincard, received the Spirit of Entrepreneurship award.